Quote:
Originally Posted by brak
somewhat off (or on?) topic. given a choice of being in a fixed dock (secure, concrete but does not float) or on a mooring (helix, professionally installed) which would you prefer in a hurricane?
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This is a really hard answer, depending on where you are, what options you have, and expected severity of the storm. Where I'm at, the storms generally have subsided somewhat and we are typically looking at 70-80 mph, with gusts higher, and a wind tide drop of 5 ft. (on bottom) to 9 ft. above average. I am in a wood piling fixed slip. I choose to stay there over hauling out or anchoring out (or on a bouy). My standard storm tie up is 26 1/2" lines, tied to distribute the forces, take them from any angle, and to allow the boat to rise and fall in the slip without hitting the pilings or pier. I take into consideration the additional stretch that I will have in lines and everything is tied in redundant manner.
But that is my choice where I am and for what I expect. If the pier was concrete, I might have another thought. (Concrete has no give and will grind away or crush fiberglass quickly. Wood fixed docks usually have some give and flexing in the pilings, additionally the wood gets soft and wears away also when the boat is rubbing against it, thus lessening damage to the boat.) Locally, roughly 1/3 stay at the pier, roughly 1/3 haul out, roughly 1/3 anchor out or tie to a bouy. And some damage is aways experienced in each of the choices. If I had a good huricane hole away from open water and other boats, that would be best. My boat experienced it's first huricane in the yard as the boat had just arrived and was being prepped. It came within 1 ft. of floating off its stands/blocks. Some other, but not all, boats that anchored out either dragged and were struck by other boats dragging....one had $70K damage. In one storm, one guy on my pier, with almost glee and gloating, told me that he wasn't worried, he had a mooring and didn't have to stay at the pier. He found his boat on the shore in the woods with the mooring still attached. Others that stayed at the marina, got against the pier and had damage. Across the creek, one was speared by a piling, giving the boat a fatal blow. Floating docks are notorious for floating off their pilings.
So there is no good answer. And generally it comes down to doing the best you can with what you have and hoping for the best. Of the two choices you presented, I would take the mooring, but other unspecified factors and local circumstances might carry the decision the other way.
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